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aboutabout usWhat is Eco-Tours by Airboat? What makes us unique? Get to know our story from the beginningfrequently asked questionsNew to the Florida Everglades? Find out about ecotourism and our tour vessels herelocal impactWonder where your tour fare goes? See your work in action and learn how together we create awareness and action
toward cultural and environmental preservation

toursall toursFind out what makes it an Eco-tour by Airboat. Compare tours, read reviews, and moresemi-private tours VISIT ISLANDS | FROM $39*Journey into the Everglades to a remote island camp where history comes alive.private tours ALL INCLUSIVE | FROM $150*Reserve your own boat with an experienced captain and set your own path.
Spot wildlife, embark onto offshore destinations, or cruise where Everglades Nat'l Park meets Big Cypress Preserve. After tour extras include waterfront dining and facility access.

facilityour facilityLearn about our low-impact Everglades facility where you can sightsee, dine, shop, and moreflorida evergladesDiscover America's largest subtropical wilderness, home of Florida's Native Americans, and one of the last untamed places in
the south, the Florida Evergladeseverglades travel planner NEW!Find nearby activities and local destinations by interest, location, price, and more!
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EVERGLADES

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Our Impact

Thanks for visiting our Impact page. Though Eco-Tours by Airboat is relatively new, the supporting tribal marketplace in charge along with family management has been serving the Florida
Everglades including the local Indian reservation for two decades. Learn more about our shared impact and issues affecting modern day Native Americans here.

NOTE: This is a non-marketing, non-soliciting, strictly-informative page on our website that exists solely to advance cultural preservation.
All views expressed are that of the indigenous management of Tippy's Outpost and do not neccesarily reflect
the views of Eco-Tours by Airboat, associates ("personel"), any one tribe or Indian country as a whole.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

answered from a local perspective

what is an indian reservation?

Reservations are allotments of land that have been recognized as home to a specific tribe.
They are sometimes painted as a sanctuary where the lifestyle and beliefs of Native Americans may live on and continue to manifest.
Where for the first time in almost 500 years, our people can live in peace and our young warriors can finally just be young, growing up in a safe, natural environment with
strong traditional values.
Some are likened to undesirable swatches of land, economically disadvantaged by and at the mercy of unilateral action by surrounding counties.
One thing all reservations have in common is open and undeveloped natural surrounding where tribal members can hunt, fish, and follow tradition.

why are reservations important?

The story of the Miccosukee tribe illustrates a prime example. When the Miccosukees split from their historic tribal body, tactfully avoiding being placed at the mercy of the
deportation policies of the day, they were originally denied recognition as a tribe by the government before their first chief sailed overseas gaining international recognition.

What would have happened if this never occured? Quite simply the same thing that happened to dozens of other landlocked tribes who weren't fortunate enough to gain recognition.
The surrounding county unilaterally deforests and develops on top of historic hunting and burial sites. As policies develop, tribal members who haven't fled into the woods
are forced to move far away to impoverished areas, often ending up homeless. The wooded areas where the tribal members who did flee become public property, leading to jail time.
Tribal members who fully comply find themselves unable to live and work in the way of their ancestors. Unable to follow ceremonies, make use of the land, farm, hunt, or fish as has always
been. Ultimately, language and traditions are forgotten, cultures are lost, and entire peoples can simply vanish.

do reservations struggle today?

Some do. In the Dakotas frigid temperatures and crumbling infrastructure can make for rough living conditions. Some tribes out west experience prolonged drought, requiring long trips
to wells and lakes under the hot sun. In addition to this, potential for sustenance and later success is removed by
introduction of oil and nuclear facilities that present numerous risk to the surrounding land, and therefore, tribal lifestyle as well as the productive capacity of tribal lands.
As the population of a tribe grows, so does it's housing needs. Borders defined as far back as half a century ago prove insufficient for those that
experience population growth.
Surrounding counties unilaterally place microwave antennas, highway overpasses, and other unsightly projects of undetermined risk
on the borders of reservations, stifling opportunities for future housing close by and development of new tribal businesses.

do reservations benefit the united states?

Absolutely! Much of the land that makes up reservations was believed to be "cursed" (in other words, prone to natural disaster) and early settlers had little interest to build homes there.
Some tribes believe their ceremonies are necessary for the protection of all who live here.

More tangible benefits include a guaranteed "development-free" zone resulting in guaranteed carbon reduction and increased oxygen output for all Americans.
Sort of like an unofficial National Park where visitors are guaranteed a pristine natural environment, contributing to the air and quality of life for hundreds of miles!
This universally pristine environment has led to countless endangered species who've also made Indian reservations their home! In a nation of shrinking forests and sprawling concrete jungles
we stand confident that open natural settings are not just a breath of fresh air but a window into the past transporting all who enter to a land before time and industry.

IMPACT

what does eco-tours by airboat do?

Eco-Tours by Airboat is a cultural information service operating in full compliance with tribal members, governments, and customs with the strict purpose of cultural preservation.
Every sale informs guests of tribal history, the importance of conservation, and sustains local tribal markets and/or institutions.
Eco-Tours by Airboat puts local issues affecting a given tribe or ecosystem front and center. It relies on the strong values and connections between indigenous peoples and their lands to allow
for captivating and one-of-a-kind experiences derived from narration programs written by actual tribal members. It allows for an accurate concensus of pressing issues of shared concern to all Americans
as well as specific concerns affecting marginalized peoples that may otherwise go unheard.

It can be likened to that of an ongoing experiment to find the most enjoyable, effective, and low-cost way to deliver cultural information alongside environmental information.
The final result will be a turn-key platform from which tribes nationwide may share and preserve their unique histories and cultures while contributing toward the overall
goal of improving indigenous livelihood. This product will ensure minimal startup cost, easy operation and maintenance resulting in minimal use of tribal time and resources,
and absolutely zero comprimise as far as tradition,
cultural practice, and local customs are concerned.

what is tippy's outpost?

Tippy's Outpost is a tribal market that caters to the unique needs of indigenous communities, providing a familiar, traditional-style shopping environment
in line with culturally-accepted policies for tribal commerce and employment.
It is a work in progress with the end result being an ideal model of tribal commerce where community and tradition is paramount.

Over the course of two decades, the local market has become much more than just a shop.
Generations of tribal families shop here, it is a place for community engagement where locals post community events and gatherings, share ideas, and promote their services to others.
In 2012, at the behest of the community and tourists alike, a new line of traditionally-run services that share and preserve tribal culture began, from which came Eco-Tours by Airboat.

whats been done so far?

The short term goal is awareness. Everyday for the nearly the past half decade people from all over the world have been made aware of local tribal history and culture while experiencing the beauty of local ecosystems,
in tandem these natural elements promote conservation. The supporting community market has benefited as well as tribal small business.

RELEVANT ISSUES

The following issues have been proposed by actual tribal members and range from protecting the environment and community history for all
to improving quality of life on Indian reservations, some proposed by our very own supporting marketplace.
We are proud to support and facilitate the advancement of the following indigenous ideas near and far.

River of Grass Greenway OppositionStatus: ONGOINGChampioned by: Tribal members (Betty [of Miccosukee]), Miccosukee Tribe (officially opposes its construction).
While the entire state of Florida (and many in Washington) is working to protect the Everglades for the quality of water for all, surrounding counties have already begun work on *another* bike path in the Everglades.

THE PROBLEM
For miles, this pet project is not more than 35 feet from the borders of a federal Indian reservation, effectively closing off an entire people from their historic
northern camps at a time when population is growing. It allows for development of county-run rest areas next to tribal school zones
and roads tribal youth use to get from one housing area to the next allowing drifters to loiter at any hour of the day.
WHY ITS IMPORTANT
The local tribe has actually outgrown their half-century-old borders some time ago.
If built, the inevideble expansion of necessary living space will put into question the feasibility of this costly project.
The federal government handles its obligations very seriously and adequate space for housing and traditional life
takes precedent over excess recreation.
In addition, stopping this project will prevent the legacy of habitat destruction shared by the counties in question from appearing as a hobby rather than a demographic neccessity of the times.

THE PROBLEM
Our reservation, like many others, resides in a somewhat remote area and along with neighboring communities have experienced what was perceived as longer time
between restoration of power than more centrally-located communities.
WHY ITS IMPORTANT
We're paying customers too!

THE RESULTSRestoration times appear to have improved.

Incentivised Environmental & Community StewardshipStatus: InitiatedChampioned by: Tippy's Outpost (one or more members of tribal management).
A call for officials to "round up, not down" when risks to the environment, wildlife, or communities are involved

THE PROBLEM
Development of natural expanses, sites with historic significance to local communities or with a history of archeaologic finds
should be subject to independant review of its area, its intended use, and potential impact radius,
as well as wildlife or plantlife therein or in potential impact radius.
Projects with proportionally large budgets for safety, environmental stewardship or otherwise resulting in an environmentally low-impact
project should be incentivised in the form of priority.
WHY ITS IMPORTANT
Industrial accidents can have disasterous humanitarian consequences for surrounding communities, like the water crisis in Flint.
Local history is a common thread uniting all members of a community and
is often overlooked when developers with endless resources are a factor. Nature is part of us all, man has learned so much from the animal kingdom. Who knows what secrets remain untold?

Inclusive Media on ReservationsStatus: UninitiatedChampioned by: Tippy's Outpost (one or more members of tribal management).
A call to implement inclusive and relateable media on reservations featuring Native American persons glorifying traditional values

THE PROBLEM
Media and advertising affects society in more ways than most think.
It is so powerful to shaping the perception of its audience, it is one of the largest American industries
and monumental lawsuits have been made to include more diverse persons in ads, thus
proving its importance in the social fabric.
WHY ITS IMPORTANT
People are attracted to familiarity. One advertisement, can change the mood of a room and over time can change the entire atmosphere and even understanding of ones environment.
It is important that, at least on reservations, indigenous peoples are allowed to enjoy the confidence and sense of inclusiveness that comes with seeing ones
own image in their everyday society.

Prevention of Institutionalized IconoclasmStatus: UninitiatedChampioned by: Tippy's Outpost (one or more members of tribal management).
A call to prevent the destruction of sacred artifacts and the secrets they may hold

THE PROBLEM
All around the world the very history of civilization is at risk of being destroyed, including cultural and religious items from fallen tribes.
These artifacts are being melted down specifically to destroy any sacred, cultural, or historical connection (thus disguising the artifact as a free-market resource).
Due to lack of enforcement, artifacts displaced by conflict can simply enter private markets "as is" never to see or benefit the world.
WHY ITS IMPORTANT
Resources originating from tribal lands that have been formed, shaped, molded, or otherwise
altered by man are not spoils or treasure but internationally-protected relics of tribal and world history that belong in a museum.
Just as modern day currency and symbols tell many stories of our age, so may symbols and art from times past.

Rights to Disruption of Media Harmful to Reservations
A call to draw attention to and mitigate culturally-destructive effects of certain themes exposed to tribal youth by advertisers

THE PROBLEM
Spirituality is tied to all traditions and the powerful and repetitive effects of Athiestic messages compounded with the outcome of
history (all things happen for a reason) results in an unfair suggestion with the effects of cultural genocide.
The messages of violence, selfishness, and dishonesty toward others and allusions to illegal acts found in music and television
are hazardous to tribal life and safety.
WHY ITS IMPORTANT
We have a right to exist.

illustrating the human connectionEnsuring indigenous voices are heardabout us »

ECO-TOURS BY AIRBOAT IS A CULTURAL PRESERVATION SERVICE AND INDIGENOUS ENDEAVOR OPERATED BY AN INDEPENDENT TRIBAL MARKETPLACE ON A FEDERAL INDIAN RESERVATION IN THE FLORIDA EVERGLADES.
THE ONLY PRODUCT OFFERED BY OUR SERVICE IS THAT OF A CULTURAL SEMINAR DISSEMINATED ON AND OFF WATERCRAFT OR OTHER VEHICLE REQUIRED TO SAFELY ACCESS VARIOUS HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL DESTINATIONS.
EVERGLADES-ECOTOURS.COM IS A MARKETING WEBSITE AND USES MARKETING TERMS SUCH AS "TOUR" TO PROMOTE WIDER APPEAL TOWARD OUR SERVICE.
NO PARTY MAY BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSSES OR DAMAGES INCURRED AS A RESULT OF USING OUR SERVICE, INCLUDING THIS WEBSITE.